Useful Pages

Thursday, 27 March 2014

How Do Graduates Find Work in the Animation Industry?

How do animation graduates find work in the animation industry? At Animation Apprentice we get asked this question a great deal. There is no
simple or straightforward answer.

Jobs in the entertainment industry have
always been highly competitive, and the supply of trained graduates
competing for the best entry-level positions has never been greater.

Official jobs postings, word of mouth, rumours in the pub, personal
contacts, even cold-calling - all of these can be effective ways to find
work in the business. Below are the twelve key rules that we think are vital for success.

Rule No 1 - Get really good at what you do
Your first and most important task is to get really good at what you do. This is an obvious rule, but the industry is competitive, and you need to be very, very good. At university, the pace of life can move slowly. But your life as an employee or a freelancer is a world of perpetual deadlines – any of which you will miss at your peril. You have to be on top of your craft, and be better than the rest.

It takes a while to get really good, so you must use your time well, to study hard and practice. Make your work entertaining and fun to watch.

Your demo reel is your shopfront - make it enticing

Rule No 2 - Have a great demo reel
Students worry a lot about grades, but the most important thing that any student will have on graduation is not their class of degree, but their demo reel. A graduate’s demo reel is their shop front, their display of talent. Nowadays it will be online at a website or blog. A great demo reel brings in work.

The number one rule of demo reels? – it should be completely free of mistakes. Most studios get piles of unsolicited demo reels. The good news is - they will probably look at your reel. The bad news is - they will probably look at your reel for ten seconds or less. So you have, in effect, ten seconds to impress. If there are any errors in your work, they will notice, and they will assume one of two things: either you saw the mistake, but could not fix it, or, worse, you didn’t see the mistake. Either way, you’re in the bin. Remember - no mistakes.

Rule No 3 - make your work easy to find.

free websites!

Got yourself a blog or website? If not, why not? These days, employers
won't wait for you to send them a reel - they want to click on your
work. So make sure your demo reel and artwork is hosted online at your
blog or website. If you don't have one, do it now.

A blog is quick, easy and free to start. You can also build your own
website at wix.com, which might take a little longer to create. Which
one you choose doesn't really matter, as long as it looks crisp and
clean and is a good shopfront for your talent.

Rule No 5 - do your research - find out who is hiring
There are literally hundreds of animation, games and visual effects companies in the UK alone, and hundreds more around Europe. As a citizen of the UK, you have a right to work anywhere in the EU. Remember that most media companies speak English - wherever they are located.

Make a list of companies, or - better yet - create a spreadsheet, so you track where you have applied and when. Try to find out who is looking for talent. Keep an eye on job forums, industry news websites, Facebook pages. There is always a company somewhere looking to hire fresh talent.

Rule No 6 - sign up for job alerts.
One method is to sign up with the jobs page at awn - The Animation World Network. I have personally found work through this site - my job on Robots at Blue Sky Studios came through awn.com

Rule No 7 - Start applying for jobs
Now it's time to start applying. You will need to draft a good cover
letter to send to each company you are applying for. Draft a standard
letter, save it, and then start adapting it. Each letter must be
tailored to suit the company you are applying for so that it doesn't read
like a form letter.

What are your skills, and how are they relevant to the position you are
applying for? Employers like to see that applicants have done their
homework and can explain why they are interested in a career with their
company. Be enthusiastic, and show that you know what that company does
for a living.

Rule No 8 - Consider working as a runner or intern
Finding internships is easier than finding a job, but they are still competitive. And yet, in an increasingly tough
world for graduates trying to break into the creative industries, it can be
an important step on the ladder to a successful career.

Runners - first learn to make great coffee

A successful
internship brings experience, contacts, and direct understanding of what
is needed to get a job with an animation company. Equally, working as a runner can be a great way in to a company. You may end up making a lot of coffee and tea, but if you get taken on - it will have been well worth it.

Rule No 9 - Get ready for interview
Company recruiters want to know that you are enthusiastic and motivated
for the industry and the job role you are applying for. You must
research the company, and find out what your likely job will be.
Recruiters often ask questions like: "What do you think this job involves?" or "what do you expect an average day to be like?".

They may also ask what your career goals are. This is a good opportunity
to explain your career ambitions, but don't be too ambitious. Everyone
wants to direct Hollywood movies and win Oscars, but the reality of most
careers will likely be rather different. Being aware of what a
realistic career in the visual effects industry looks like will win you
the respect of the person interviewing you. Saying you want to be
Stephen Spielberg will not.

Rule No 10 - Work your connections
Personal connections count. If you know people who work in the creative
industries, ask them about internships. There is no shame in this - many
of the jobs you get in industry will be thanks to the sort of loose
connections that make up what we call networking. Employers want
to be comfortable with the person they are hiring, and if someone within
the company can vouch for the applicant, then so much the better.

Make a list of people you know in the business and see if they can help you
out. Lots of ex-students might well be willing to help out an
undergraduate - if you ask nicely. Sending down the ladder to help give
an opportunity to a newbie isn't as rare as you might think.

Keep your eyes and ears open

Rule No 11 - Keep your ears open!
Finally, keep in touch with your fellow graduates! Your graduating class
is a little community of talent, you can keep each other informed about
who is hiring and who needs bodies in a hurry.

Media companies tend to
practice crisis-management, which is to say that when they need people,
they tend to need them right away. So keep you ear to the ground, polish your online portfolio, and be ready to move quickly.

Be the rhino

Rule No 12 - Don't give up
Develop rhinoceros hide. Expect rejection. Keep at it and you will be rewarded.